Foundation gauge



Feb. 1'4, 1933 B. s. SOUDERS FOUNDATION GAUGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledOct. 19, 1929 Feb.'1 4, 1933. B. s. SOUDERS FOUNDATION GAUGE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 19, 1929 In ventm' Feb. 14, 1933.

B. s. SOUL ERS 1,897,682

FOUNDATION GAUGE Filed Oct. 19, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor A iiorneyPatented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES BENJAMIN S. SOUIDEBS, 0F DECATUR,ILLINOIS FOUNDATION GAUGE Application filed October 19, 1929. Serial No.400,935.

This invention relates to foundation gauges and is particularly adaptedfor supporting plumb lines and out lines in building foundation walls.

An object of the invention is to provide a guide that may be trued withprecision instruments such as levels and after the one setting by theprecision instrument may be used during the building of the entirefoundation walls.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable graduatedbar on the standards so that the same level may be retained throughoutthe building operation.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a gauge of the character referred to, which isstrong, compact and durable, capable of being easily assembled anddisassembled, requiring the minimum of storage space in the disassembledposition, very simple in its method of assembly, very reliable for itsintended purpose, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein is disclosed an embodiment of theinvention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations andmodifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe claims hereto appended.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the use of four guides for layingout a foundation in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a foundation wallillustrating in side elevation an application of the present inventiontherewith.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one of the gauges.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the standards, partly brokenaway.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view in detail through the standards.

F igure 6 is'an enlarged fragmentary portion of the standard with thebracket arms attached thereto.

Figure 7 is an enlargedfragmentary elevation of the standard having aportion of the supporting arm broken away.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the telescoping supporting rod, and,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the templet.

Any number of the gauges formed in accordance with the present inventionmay be utilized in laying out a foundation. Since most foundations arefour sided figures, the invention is illustrated with a foundationhaving four sides. It is believed that a description of one of thegauges in accordance with the present invention will serve to pro vide aclear understanding of the other gauges.

The gauge consists of a standard upright 10 preferably'of squareconfiguration and may be either wood or metal. The lower end of theupright 10 is formed with a socket 11 in which is detachably seated theblunt end of a sharpened steel stake 12. Oneof the side faces 13 of thestandard is recessed at 1 the major portion of its length to receive agraduated bar 15 that is slidably mounted therein. The graduations areindicated at 16 in Figure 6 of the drawings. The bar 15 is about thesame length or a little longer than the standard 10 and is formed with alongitudinal slot 17 the major portion of its length.

A pair of screws 18 extend through the slot and have the heads thereofoverlapping the slot in the bar 15. The screws 18 pro vide suflicienttension between the standard 10 and the bar 15 to permit adjustment ofthe bar 15" with respect to the standard 10.

The side faces 13 and 19 of each standard are provided with grooves 20and 21 to receive the tongues of the bracket arms to be presentlydescribed. A pair of arms 22, 23 are hingedly connected as at 24, 25 attheir inner ends to the lower ends of the sides 19 and 26 of thestandard 10. The arms 22', 23- are substantially fiat plates and may beformed of wood',.metal, or other suitable material.

Openings 27 are formed adjacent the outer ends of the arms 22, 23, andare adapted to receive pegs 28 which are driven into the ground tosupport the arms. Rings 29 are formed on the upper end of the pegs 28 toprevent the pegs from slipping through the openings and at the same timeto anchor the pegs to the arms. The arms 22, 23 are disposed at rightangles to each other and the angle with respect to the standard 10 maybe changed as will presently appear.

The angles of the arms 22, 23 with respect to the standard 10 arechanged by means of a pair of members indicated generally at 30 and 31.

Each member is composed of two preferably square sections 32 and 33. Theouter ends of the sections are formed with hooks 34, 35 adapted todetachably engage with staples 36, 37 anchored in thestandard 10 and thearms respectively; A pair of U-shaped straps 38, 39 have the legsthereof secured to section 32 providing a space for receiving the innerend of the section 33 between the legs and the bight portion of thestraps. The section 32 is formed with an aperture be tween the straps38, 39 for receiving a bolt 40 upon which is threadably supported a wingnut 41.

When the wing nut 41 is tightened, it abuts the sides of both sections32,33 therebylocking them in any desired adjusted position. WVhen thewing nut 41 is loose, section 33 is freely slidable in the straps 38,39.

A bracket arm 42 is adapted to project laterally with one face flushwith the guide face 13. The bracket arm is provided with tongues 43, 44that overlap the inner corners and are slidably receivable in thegrooves 20, 21. Adjacent its free end the bracket arm 42 is formed witha right angled guide indicated generally at 45 consisting of legs 46,47. Adjacent the vertex of the guide 45 the arm 42 is formed withnotches 48, 49 in its edges. Adjacent the upper notch 48, the arm has ahook 50 upstanding therefrom. Adjacent the ends, each leg 46, 47 isformed with recesses 51, 52, on the upper and lower edges thereof.

The tape holder 53 comprises an elongated plate upon opposite sides ofwhich near one end are arrow head formations 54 whose edges are relatedto each other at right angles. The members 54 are undercut or otherwisespaced from the side of the plate whereby to receive the tape betweenthe plate and itself. A hole 55 is provided in the plate whereby thetape holder may receive the hook 50 on the bracket 42. One end of thetape is tethered upon the hook 50 of one of the brackets 42, when it isdesired to measure a diagonal, and the other end portion of the tape isthen passed under one of the arrow heads 54 and the holder ismounteduponthe hook 50 of the diagonally opposite bracket 42. One of the edges ofthe member 54 will then lie across the tape and define the readingthereof.

Pointer 56 is secured to arm 42 and registers with graduations 16 on thebar 15. After the bar 15 is set to the proper level, the pointer may beset to the same graduation on each gauge.

In the application of the invention, the exact point to begin the ditchfor the foundation is secured by surveyors instruments or the like. Thefirst gauge indicated generally at A is then set by driving the standard10 and the peg 12 into the ground so that the vertex of the angularguide 45 is in approximate alinement with said point. The arms 30, 31are then unfolded and the pegs 28 are driven into the ground so that therings are in contact with the upper faces thereof.

By arranging a plumb bob in the vertex of the angular guides 45, thestandard 10 may be adjusted to a true vertical relation by manipulationof the members 30, 31. The next corner of the foundationis properlylocated by measurements and the standard B is anchored similarly to thestandard A. The same operation is repeated with gauge C and D so thatthe four corners of the foundation ditch are properly located.

A wire or other flexible tape 55 has one end connected with the hook 50of the member A and is passed over the angle parts 45 and 46 of themembers 13,0 and D and brought back to the member A as shown inFigure 1. Then in order to true the set up by the hypotenuse of theright triangle, the legs of the sides of the right angle triangle areascertained from the blue print or plan and this is checked on the setup by attaching one end of a tape measure 55 to the hook 50 0f themember C or the tape holder 53 is attached to said member C and theother end part of the tape meas are is attached to the member A by thetemplot 53, which is attached to hook 50 of said member A. The fourstandards are then adjusted to correct any inaccuracy of the first setup so that the foundation line will represent a true rectangle. Thereading of the tape or line is made where the angular edge thereofcrosses the line at right angles.

The bars 15 on each gauge A, B, C, and D may be all set to the samelevel by a spirit level. or the like so that the line 65 may be used foraligning courses of brick above the surface of the ground. A plumb line56 may be hung so as to be flush in the vertex of the angular guides 45for plumbing the corners of the wall as is clearly illustrated in Figure2 of the drawings.

From the foregoing explanation, it is obvious that the gauge inaccordance with the present invention will at all times show the truelevel for the courses of brick used in the foundation, will always showthe true level for the ditch to be dug to receive the side walls, can beused to plumb the corners of walls and furthermore can be used to plumbthe sides of the walls at any particular point.

Another advantage to be derived from the gauge in accordance with thepresent invention is the fact that once the gauges are set at .the fourcorners of the foundation, no further adjustment is necessary in theconstruction of the wall since the bars 15 may be projected considerablyabove the standard 10 as shown in Figure 4, so that the wall can bebuilt well above the standards without resetting the standards. Thelength of the standard 10 may be as desired considerin the height of thefoundation wall or the irick wall to which the gauge is being applied.-

It is understood that by describing in detail herein any particularform, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limit theinvention beyond the terms of the several claims, or the requirements ofthe prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A gauge of the class described comprising an upright standard, a pairof arms hingedly connected to the lower end of the standard, rodsconnecting the arms with the standard, means for adjusting the length ofthe rods, a bracket slidably arranged on the standard, hook means on thebracket for holding the bracket in adjusted position, the standardhaving slots to receive the hook means, a right angled guide on thebracket, a. graduated bar connected for sliding on the standard meansfor clamping the bar in adj usted position, and a pointer on the bracketcooperating with said graduated bar.

2. A gauge of the class described comprising an upright standard, a pairof arms hingedly connected with the standard, rods connecting the armswith the standard, meansfor adjusting the length of the rods, saidstandard having grooves in opposite faces thereof, a bracket havingprongs thereon engaging the grooves, an angle guide on the free end ofthe bracket, a graduated bar adjustably connected with the standard anda pointer on the bracket cooperating with said bar.

3. A gauge of the class described, comprising, a standard provided withvertical grooves in difierent sides thereof, a combined plumb-line andbuilding cord support carried by the standard in vertically adjustablemanner, a bracket engaging with sides of the standard and in saidgrooves so as to be vertically adjustable on the standard and carryingsaid combined support, a graduated slide carried by the standard, apointer carried by the bracket for cooperation with the graduated slide,said combined support comprising a pair of right-angularly related arms,cord retaining means on each arm, a tape holding hook carried by thebracket close to the meeting point of the arms, and

plumb-line retaining means on the bracket immediately adjacent the pointof meeting of the arms with the bracket, whereby side building lines, aplumb-line and a diagonal line may be simultaneously carried in adjustedrelationship, and means for adjusting and maintaining the angularity ofthe standard with the horizontal.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

BENJAMIN S. SOUDERS.

